Premature arming safety device for torpedoes



INVENTOR. CHARLES R, DPPEL BY M-N 2 Sheets-Sheet l C. QM

ATTORNEYS C. R. DIPPEL PREMATURE ARMING SAFETY DEVICE FOR TORPEDOES April 9, 1957 Flled Sep?l 9 1953 m m. N N.

April 9, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTOR NEYS PREMATURE ARMING SAFETY DEVICE FOR TORPEDOES Charles R. Dippel, Los Angeles, Calif., assignor to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy Application September 9, 1953, Serial No. 379,316

7 Claims. (Cl. 102-16 (Granted under Title 35, U. S. Code (1952), sec. 266) The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States of America for governmental purposes without the payment of any royalties thereon or therefor.

This invention relates to torpedoes and more particularly to improvements in safety devices for preventing premature arming thereof.

in tube launched torpedoes, such as those launched by submarines, torpedoes have on occasion jammed within the launching tubes and the relative velocity of water has actuated the vane type arming device, thus conditioning the war head for detonation subject only to actuation of the sensitive exploder, thus endangering the submarine.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide safety apparatus for preventing arming of a torpedo while disposed within a torpedo launching tube.

Another object is to provide safety apparatus of the foregoing type which may be employed with an arming switch and positively prevent the latter from operating while a torpedo is in a launching tube.

A further object is to provide safety apparatus which may be readily reset to unarmed position after a tired torpedoisrecovered.

Still further objects, advantages, and salient features will become more apparent from the description to follow, the appended claims and the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a broken away side elevation of a submarine torpedo tube with a torpedo disposed therein;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary plan of the rear portion of the torpedo in the locus of that indicated by arrow 2, Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a section taken on line 3 3, Fig. 2;

Fig. 3A is a partial section like Fig. 3, showing parts in a dierent position; and

Fig. 4 is an enlarged central section through an electrical switch illustrated in Fig. 3.

Referring in detail to the drawing, Fig. l depicts any conventional torpedo launching tube 10, such as employed by submarines, through which a torpedo 11 may be launched.

Torpedo 11 may be of any conventional type to which is affixed a fin construction and associated parts to now be described, which form the subject of the invention.

Stabilizing iin 12 is rigidly alixed to the afterbody of the torpedo in any manner understood in the art and carries an elongated bore rider bar 13, channel shaped in cross section, and movably connected to the iin by links 14, 15, pivotally connected to the bar between its side walls and to the fin by pivot pins 16, 17, 18 19, forming a parallelogram linkage so that the outer edge of the bar is disposed substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the launcher tube in all positions of its movement. The bar rides between side walls of a conventional slot 20 in the tube, and as will be apparent from Fig. 3, can move radially outwardly only a limited 2,787,957 Patented Apr. 9, 1957 amount, that is until it rides against surface 21 of the slot. The length of the bar is also sutlicient to ride across any apertures communicating with the slot without jamming. A plurality of vanes 22 project laterally from the bar and serve to move it to the position shown in Fig. 3A, after the torpedo has left the tube, by the action of water engaging the vanes. A conventional pivoted rudder R is disposed at the rear end of iin 12.

Link 14 is provided with a cam 23 which engages a lever 24, pivotally carried by the tin by a pivot pin 25. A slidable plunger 26 is carried by the tin and urged for movement outwardly toward the tube by a spring 27, the outer end of the plunger engaging the lever. The shape of the cam and the position of the pivotal axis of pin 16 is so chosen that lever 24 urges link 14 for rotation in a counterclockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 3, thus tending to move bar 13 to its innermost position, which is limited by a stop 2S, on the bar, engaging the tin. After the torpedo has left the tube vanes 22 apply a rearward force to bar 13 and rotate links 14, 15 in a clockwise direction and after a predetermined movement the camming action between lever 24 and cam 23 is such that spring 27 aids vanes 22 and bar 13 moves to the position shown in Fig. 3A with a snap action. The construction so far described may be interconnected in any desired manner to any type of arming device which operates to arm the torpedo after it has moved a safe distance from the submarine, such as the conventional vane type arming device, previously referred to. It will be apparent, therefore, that such construction may readily be attached to existing types of torpedoes which are armable in a torpedo tube in the absence of utilization of the invention.

When it is desired to eliminate a vane type arming device the construction to now be described may be employed with the bore rider safety device. Referring to Figs. 3 and 4, an electrical switch 31 is disposed within the torpedo, the switch comprising a body 32 of electrical insulating material. A reciprocable rod 33 is carried by the body and is aiiixed to the central portion of a pair of spaced diaphragms 34, 35, the outeredges of which are secured to the switch body, thus forming chamber 36, 37, 38. A plurality of angularly spaced metallic plungers 39 are carried by the body, each being urged radially inwardly by a spring 40 and each having an electric lead L connected thereto. A spacer 41, of electrical insulating material is affixed to rod 33, between the diaphragms, and carries a metallic ring 42, adapted to electrically connect the plungers when it is moved by the spacer to a position in contact therewith. Prior to arming, the parts of the switch are in the positions shown in Fig. 4 and upward movement of rod 33 is resisted by a spring 43.

A Pitot tube 45 projects forwardly from fin 12, its forward aperture 46, which receives total pressure of the water, being in communication with chamber 38 by way of conduit 47, and its lateral apertures 48, which receive static pressure, being in communication with chamber 36 by way of conduit 49 and apertures 50 in the switch body, as indicated by arrow 51, Fig. 4. Chamber 37 is filled with a silicone oil to prevent collapse of the diaphragms in directions toward each other due to pressure in chambers 36 and 38 and also to provide a time delay and prevent premature operation of the switch which might occur due to inertia or shock forces.

In the operation of the switch and Pitot tube constructions just described, the bore rider device operates in the same manner described, that is, after the torpedo leaves the tube and attains sufficient velocity to be moved by vanes 22 and spring 27 to the position shown in Fig. 3A. The switch is then free to operate since the lower end of plunger 26 is now spaced from the upper end of rod 33. When the torpedo attains a predetermined speed the pressure dierential between chambers 36, 38 becomes suicient to actuate the diaphragms and rod 33 attached thereto and move the latter upwardly to a position wherein ring 42 electrically connects leads L, L which in turn, establish any suitable electrical circuit to eiect arming of the torpedo. Y

Obviously many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in the light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

What is claimed is:

l. Torpedo arming prevention apparatus for use in a torpedo of the type adapted to be launched through a torpedo launching tube of a submarine, comprising; an elongated member, means supporting said member on the torpedo for substantially radial movement through positions substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the torpedo and tube, said member being permissibly movable to a certain limit position in its outward movement by sliding engagement thereof with the tube while passing through same, means for moving said member outwardly beyond said certain limit position after the torpedo has passed through the tube, and means associating said member and arming means of the'torpedo for preventing operation of the arming means while the torpedo is in the tube and permitting operation of the arming means after the torpedo has passed through the tube.

2. Apparatus in accordance with claim l wherein the arming means includes a Pitot tube carried by the torpedo communicating with ambient water and adapted to receive total ambient water pressure and static water pressure, and an electric switch adapted to be operated by a difference between said pressures when the dilerence corresponds to at least a predetermined velocity of the torpedo. Y l

3. Apparatus in accordance with claim l wherein the means for moving said member beyond said position includes water engageable vane means aixed to the member.

4. Apparatus in accordance with claim 3 including spring and cam means adapted to augment the vane means for moving the member.

5. Ina torpedo of the type adapted to be launched through a torpedo launchingV tube of a submarine, the torpedo having a longitudinally extending fixed tin thereon and arming means for arming the torpedo after it has been launched from thetube, the improvements comprising; an elongated member, means supporting said member on said tin for substantially radial movement through positions substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the torpedo and tube, said member being permissibly movable to a certain limit position in its outward movement Vby sliding engagement thereof with the tube while passing through same, Water engageable vane means aiXed to the member adapted to move it outwardly beyond said certain limit position in response to movement of the torpedo through water after being launched' from the tube, and means interconnecting said arming means and member adapted to prevent arming of the arming means until after the member has moved be-` linkage includes a cam and a spring, the cam being movable across an overthrow position, the construction and arrangement being such that the spring urges said member radially inward toward its innermost limit of movement, when the cam means is on one side of said overthrow position and urges it radially outward toward its outermost limit of movement when the cam means is on the other side of said voverthrow position.

ReferencesY Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,428,565 Guidosh Oct. 7, 1947 FOREIGN PATENTS 478,058 France Aug. 28, 1915 

